With eased visa policies and major international events fueling demand, Shanghai's inbound tourism is on an upward trend — bringing global visitors not just for F1, but also for the city's vibrant cultural experiences.

Just before 7 pm on March 23, groups of international tourists streamed into Shanghai Circus World, eager to watch the show ERA2 — Spirit of Shanghai.

"Excellent! Fantastic!" Two Australian visitors were particularly impressed by ERA's aerial duet Cai Yun Zhui Yue (Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon), where female acrobats descended into a transparent water tank to perform an elegant synchronized swimming routine.

The show ERA2 — Spirit of Shanghai blends traditional Chinese acrobatics, Western theater, and elements of extreme sports, improvisational comedy, and dance. At its heart is a romantic tale of a boy searching for the girl he fell in love with at first sight in Shanghai.

With the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix drawing visitors from around the world, 95 percent of the over 900 people who attended the evening's performance were international tourists.

This surge in international spectators came as a pleasant surprise to Chen Tao, deputy general manager of the ERA show. He revealed that overseas travel agencies began booking ERA tickets in late December, with most reservations between March 21 and 23 — coinciding with the F1 race.

"I realized that many F1 fans are taking the opportunity to watch ERA while in Shanghai, so we quickly reached out to our Japanese partners, proposing a bundled package combining F1 and ERA tickets," Chen said.

Japanese visitors surged in the months following China's implementation of a visa-free policy for ordinary Japanese passport holders in November. During the past F1 weekend, Japanese tourists accounted for one-third of ERA's foreign audience.

The influx of international spectators wasn't limited to Japan. Tourists from a dozen countries, including South Korea, Poland, and Australia, also flocked to the show.

Beyond the F1 effect, Shanghai's inbound tourism is also entering its peak season.

For tech-savvy travelers like Thailand's Pop Chan, getting around Shanghai was effortless. Over his five-day visit, he smoothly used Alipay for transactions and Amap's English version to explore the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, and Shanghai Disneyland.

China's visa-free policies are playing a crucial role in the tourism revival. Wu Hong, general manager of Shanghai-based travel agency Spring Tour, noted that visitors from Japan, Thailand, and South Korea are rebounding rapidly, with some flight routes exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Data from budget carrier Spring Airlines shows that Japan remains the top source of inbound tourists to Shanghai, followed by Thailand and South Korea.

Source: Jiefang Daily